Free Republic

22,000 people lost control of temperatures in their homes for hours Tuesday.. DENVER — During the dog days of summer, it's important to keep your home cool. But when thousands of Xcel customers in Colorado tried adjusting their thermostats Tuesday, they learned they had no control over the temperatures in their own homes. ... Xcel confirmed to Contact Denver7 that 22,000 customers who had signed up for the Colorado AC Rewards program were locked out of their smart thermostats for hours on Tuesday. "It's a voluntary program. Let's remember that this is something that customers choose to be a part...

Residents in Texas who have smart home thermostats were deeply disturbed during the state’s latest heat wave. Texans who have smart thermostats reported that their temperatures to their homes were raised without their knowledge. Reports revealed that electric companies in the state raised the temperatures of homes remotely to almost 78 degrees to conserve energy consumption. The actions by the companies were part of a sweepstakes that residents unknowingly signed up for which gave the electric companies the right to change their customers thermostats.